MARC NEWSON | "ORGONE" CHAIR

Friedman Benda, New York

Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2005

Alice Rawsthorn, Marc Newson, London, 1999, pp. 84-87

Aluminium By Design, exh. cat, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, October 28, 2000-February 11, 2001, p. 264

Conway Lloyd Morgan, Marc Newson, London, 2002, p. 183

Marc Newson, exh. cat., Gagosian Gallery, New York, January 25-March 3, 2007, p. 64

Alison Castle, Marc Newson Works, London, 2012, pp. 70-76

As a student at Sydney College of the Arts, Marc Newson was classically trained as a silversmith, as it was “the one department that taught you how to build stuff.” In his Orgone Chair, we see reflections of that foundational experience as Newson tests to what degree he can manipulate metal to realize his vision. Experimenting with production and materiality, Newson sought to create a surface that called to mind “a giant blob of mercury.” He envisioned large-scale works with smooth surfaces that would be both fluid and functional. It wasn’t until he collaborated with coachbuilders that specialized in the restoration of Aston Martin cars that he achieved the result he was looking for: large planes of metal, seamlessly bent and warped to highlight negative space. The present Orgone Chair was formed using the traditional car making techniques of rolling, hammering and welding aluminum panels. The sleek outer skin of this Orgone Chair plays against the cool and sensuous black lacquered interior, existing at the intersection of art and technology.